


Michael flying not so solo

by WhatTheCheese



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: F/M, Geeks getting to know each other, Michael being an adorable bean, OC, also geeks falling in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-05-13 02:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19241779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatTheCheese/pseuds/WhatTheCheese
Summary: Emily is not popular. At all. And that's okay. She is a theatre nerd, just like her best friend Christine. In the most awkward way possible, she gets to know Michael Mell, also not popular at all and a geek like her.Rating may change later





	1. You messed up my name

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there. This is my first fic for this fandom, but also my first musical theatre fic. I just got into Be more chill recently and I fell hard for it, especially for Michael (Who didn't?). I hope you like this stupid little OC/Michael fic!

The schoolyear began, and that meant one thing: The school play. But more importantly, Play rehearsal. I loved it to bits and enjoyed every second of it, but there was one person who loved it even more: Christine Canigula, my best friend. I knew her since Middle School and even then she'd been all about theatre in all its forms. Though everyone else at school thought it was weird and strange, I thought it was cool and adorable. We were both used to being called weird and other things, but I did my best to ignore it. I loved Fantasy, Sci-fi and video games a lot, but I wouldn't change that just to become popular. This wouldn't help my self-esteem issues either, on the contrary, it would only worsen them. 

"Emily!", I heard the voice of my best friend behind me as I stood by my locker. I turned around and smiled. "Hey there Chrissy", I said as I hugged her tight. I was a lot taller than her, so she was really easy to hug for me. "Excited about play rehearsal?", I asked, even though I already knew the answer. And there it was, her face lit up with excitement and she started talking. "Of course! I already signed my name on the poster, of course I was the first one to do that. You didn't, but you will right?" I nodded. "Anyway, class is starting in a few minutes, but we're meeting afterwards for rehearsal, right?" I nodded again, smiling. "Sure. I can't wait to see what play we're gonna do." After another hug, she went off to her class, time for me to do the same. But not before I signed my name on that list, I had to. So I grabbed the books I needed from my locker, took a pen and went over. There were only two names so far, Christine of course and another, Jeremy Heere. I raised an eyebrow. I never saw his name on the list for the plays, this was the first time. I saw him every now and then though, I had two classes with him. He was quite cute, but like me, considered as the weirdo, the unpopular kid, so he was bulied a lot. Poor guy. Just as I began to write my name, I felt someone bump against me and the pen fell out of my hand. Great, now there was just a squiggly line instead of a readable name. 

Flustered and in shock from the sudden contact, I turned around and saw the person who bumped into me. A guy a bit taller than me, with dark swoopy hair and big glasses. He was wearing a bright red hoodie which was covered in patches, and big white headphones above his ears. Apparently he was too focused on the music to notice me. "I'm so sorry!“, he said, his brown eyes filled with guilt. My shock wore off and I chuckled. "It's okay, I'm alive. You messed up my writing though." I pointed to the squiggly line that was supposed to be my name. He scratched his neck, seeming a bit...nervous? "Again, sorry. I was listening to music and too in it. But here's your pen. Emily right?" I took it. I didn't notice him picking it up, probably the shock. "Exactly. Thanks", I said smiling and thought. This red hoodie kinda looked familiar. Of course, it was Michael. He and Jeremy, the second name on the list were friends. He was also in the classes I had with Jeremy. They were always together, much like me and Christine. His look went to the poster. "You signed up for the play? Or rather...tried to?" 

I nodded. "Yeah, my friend Christine and I participate every year. It's great! I saw your friend Jeremy signed too." His eyes widened and the smile got even bigger and...cockier. "I know, he did it because of Christine...oh shit", he quickly covered his mouth with his hand. He probably didn't mean to say that. "Please don't tell her, okay? He'll kill me if he finds out." I grinned. He liked Christine? She probably didn't even know him. But that would change. Even though I would love to tell her something like that, I couldn't do that to Michael. So I nodded. "I swear, your secret's save with me." He smiled again. Then, the bell rang, interrupting whatever we were doing here. "Well, I have to get going. See ya in class", I said and waved. He waved back and I just wanted to go, when I noticed something. "Hey Michael", I yelled, getting his attention. "Yeah?"

"I think someone wrote 'riends' on your backpack...what's up with that?" He shrugged. "My buddy Jeremy has 'Boyf' written on his...just another prank by Rich. Just another day of hell named school." And with that, he turned around again. No truer words were ever spoken. 

 

"Hey there Emily", Christine said full of joy as I approached her. Play rehearsal would start in about 30 minutes, of course she was already here. But she was not alone, that Jeremy kid was with her. Before my arrival, they seemed to be talking about theatre. What else? He seemed pretty shy, as he was very quiet. But everyone was that next to Christine once she started talking about theatre. He agknowlegded me with a kind smile, which I returned. This year's play would certainly be interesting...

My thought proofed right when Mr. Reyes told us what we were going to do. A Midsummer night's dream with...Zombies? Well, Zombies were cool, so was Shakespeare, so why not bring these two together.

After school, although rehearsal was always fun, I couldn't wait to go home and relax. I didn't live far from school, so I walked there and back. On my way, I put my headphones in, chose my favorite playlist and pressed 'Shuffle'. A Bob Marley song, my favorite. I loved old music. Don't get me wrong, new stuff these days was great too, but there were jjust some oldies you couldn't beat. Just as I was about to open the frontdoor, I recieved a text. From Christine. I opened it, but didn't look at it yet. "I'm home!", I yelled as I walked through the door. My Mom gave an answer I couldn't understand, but it probably wasn't anything special. So I just went down to my room, where I placed my backpack in a corner, before placing myself on my bed. Now I opened the text from Christine again, reading it.

Christine: Emmyyy! Help! I met this guy at play rehearsal...well technically I didn't meet him just then, I know him since 7th grade. But I actually got to meet him! He talked to me and asked me to hang out! Oh God I don't know how to do this.

I chuckled slightly. Maybe Jeremy got over his shyness. 

Me: Hey that's great! I think he is really into you ;)  
Christine: You think? Well normally I'm not into guys like Jake...but he doesn't seem as bad as I thought he would be

My phone almost fell put of my hand. Jake? The most popular guy at school? Who also was known for flirting and sleeping with everything female? Well except us. Till now, apparently. I couldn't blame him, Christine was the definition of cute and adorable. But what did she see in him? You would expect her to be with someone like Jeremy. Or even Michael...He seemed like the adorable Nerd you just had to love. I never talked to him much until now, even in the classes we had, apart from asking which page to turn to and such. I guess I had to change that. 

Me: Well if it magically works out and you're happy, I'm happy for you :*

It was true. I didn't trust Jake at all, but if it was like she said and he was different with her, I couldn't ruin this for her by saying this was wrong. I knew she wouldn't do this for me.


	2. Pink Marshmellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Michael keep meeting in the most awkward way. They decide to make something out of it

In the next morning before class, I decided to stop by at 7-11. I did it once in a while, when I got the craving for something sweet. That was the case today. I just turned around to leave with my slushee in hand, as I bumped into something. Or rather someone. Someone I knew. Someone who already bumped into me once. Was that going to be a theme now? Like last time, I stared at Michael in shock. He looked the same, his eyes wide and filled with guilt. But this time, it felt worse than when he just messed up my name. "Oh man, I'm so sorry Emily! I did it again... I really should pay more attention where I go. And now your awesome shirt is ruined." I looked down at my shirt. Yep, there was a big red stain from the Slushee. Great. "It's okay...Guess I walk home and change, I don't have it far", I mumbled and headed for the door, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Hey, I'm really sorry. I don't want all our encounters outside class be like this. Let me at least buy you a new Slushee. I was going to buy one my self anyway." A small smile formed on my lips. "Okay. Just wait for me with it at school, okay? I really have to get changed. I already am a loser, won't ruin it more with a big stain, right?", I jokingly said, but it was totally true. His eyes softened, he seemed to understand. "All right. But if it helps, I think your shirt's amazing, even with the stain. I mean, come on, the Voltron-Logo from the original show from the 80s? Sick!" I chuckled. "At least you recognize it."

Michael's POV:

Oh man, I could hit myself. That was now the second time I crashed into Emily, but this time was way worse, since I not only made her drop her pen and mess up her name, but I made her spill her Slushee. On her shirt. A shirt that was so nerdy and retro that I was almost jealous I didn't own it. And this time I wasn't even listening to music, no, I was just...I didn't even know. I really felt bad. That was the second time we met outside class and both times were so damn awkward. Well, only fitting for a loser like me. I watched her leaving the 7-11 to change. The best I could do waas buying her a new Slushee. I smiled to myself. The first one I didn't buy for myself. It could have been under better circumstances, but still. It was something. I just hoped I didn't mess it up. People already thought I was weird, when they even noticed me. But she didn't seem too upset. And, judging from her style and interests, she wasn't like Chloe or Brooke. Her hair was dyed a dark red, almost like my hoodie. She wore graphic geeky tees. She seemed to have tattoos, although I couldn't see what kind. She liked theatre. If she also liked Video Games, I definitely wanted to be friends with her. I wondered why we've never talked in class before...oh right, because we're both socially awkward. Which was another reason for us to bond.

I waited near the door, with the promised Slushee in hand. She arrived only a few minutes later, with a new shirt and a smile as she saw what I was holding in my hand. "Thanks Michael, but you didn't have to", she said, taking it and taking a huge sip. I shook my head. "No I had to. It's nothing really. Who knows what I'll do to you next?" We both laughed. "I hope nothing too bad", she said, a kinda...cheeky grin on her face. The bell rang, forcing us to go to class. "We're having a class together now, don't we?", I asked, trying to remember the schedule. She nodded slowly, thinking and sipping her Slushee. Kinda cute. "Yes we do. At least I can keep an eye on you so you won't harm me." I chuckled nervously. I really hoped I wouldn't...

Emily's POV:

I kinda felt bad for Michael, as I could see how guilty he felt. I told him it was fine, but he insisted on buying me a new Slushee while I changed at home. How nice of him.

He kept his promise, which was even nicer. No one had ever done this for me. The only thing I ever got when someone bumped into me and/or spilled something on me was a 'watch where you're going'. But Michael wasn't like this at all, probably because he knew how it felt. Now we had a class together and even though it wasn't the first time, it was different because we actually had some interaction. Which was...a bit awkward, to say the least, but still nice.

In class, I sat two rows behind Michael and Jeremy. I could literally keep an eye on him, because his head full of black hair and his red hoodie was almost all I saw. It wasn't that special interesting, until I saw him whispering with Jeremy. And turning around, looking in my direction. No, looking directly at me. If they wanted to be discrete, they failed miserably. I felt my heartbeat quicken and my hands getting sweaty. Great, now he talked about me too? Was I that awkward? But he seemed so nice earlier...Great, now I had to wait in total anxiety till the lesson was over. I was used to being stared at, being talked about, was it my appearance or something I said, I knew it all. But I didn't expect it from someone like him. 

As the class was over, I grabbed my things and went out of the classroom, waiting for Michael by the door. "Hey Michael", I said as I spotted him. Jeremy was of course right next to him. My hands were sweaty as fuck, great. "Yeah?", he turned around, facing me with that big smile of his. „Um...I just noticed you two whispering and looking at me. Like directly at me. Have I done something wrong? Is it about what happened earlier? I'm really sorry...“ 

Aaand there was my skill again. The skill of apologizing for something that wasn't my fault. I was really good at that. His smile vanished and his expressions softened. "What? No, no no no no. No. I just..um...", he stammered, but Jeremy took over. "He just told me how you two met. And that he fucked up by knocking you over and spilling something on you. I wanted to know who he meant and I totally fucked up being discrete. It's my fault", he explained with a smile and I was truly relieved. I really didn't think that Michael was a person who would do things like that, but just knowing he didn't was good. "Aren't you also in the play?", he then asked and I nodded. "Yeah, I'm in it every year. Christine's my best friend." I saw his eyes widen as I mentioned her name, cute. "Right, um.. I have to go to my next class now. See you later Michael." And just like that, he was gone, leaving us in the hallway. "What's up with him now?", I asked, earning a chuckle from Michael. "It's Christine. You just have to mention her name and he stops functioning. Also, the fact of you being her best friend and also being in the play could be dangerous for him." I let out a giggle. "Me? Dangerous? I'm about as dangerous as a pink Marshmellow." Now he laughed, which was way better than his worried expression. "I think you have to prove that." 

"And how?", I asked and he thought for a second. "How about....you help us fighting against Zombies? As in video games?" My whole face lit up. Asking me to play video games was like asking a dog to play fetch. "Deal. Where and when?" "Today after school, at my place." Before he could say anything else, I gave him my phone. "Save your number in here. I'll text you so you can text me your address.“ I was surprised how talkative and social I could get. But I suppose if you brought me and someone nice with similar interests together, this was the result. He saved his number into my phone and gave it back with a smile. "Okay, I guess I'll see you later then", he said and I simply waved, going to my next class. But before, I had to send him something so he got my number. It was a poop emoji, naturally. 

"Emmyyy!", I heard the excited voice of Christine behind, and soon after that, next to me. "Hey there Chris", I said, hugging her. Before I could even ask what was up, she started talking. And oh boy, was that fast. Faster than usual, which meant she was excited. A lot. She only talked this fast when she talked about the play, which meant it had to be something huge. And it was: Jake asked her out to hang with him and the others at the Mall. Okay, that was really going somewhere. Maybe Jake wasn't so bad after all? Well, we had to wait and see. I would only trust him if he proved to be better than he showed to be. "You have to keep me updated." She nodded aggressively. "Will do." Then she seemed to think. "Do you...wanna come to the Mall? Jake said his friends are coming too and I kinda don't want to do this alone", she said, suddenly all excitement from a few seconds ago gone. I frowned a bit, understanding her, but she had to do this one alone. I eventually shook my head. "I know you're scared, but he asked you out, not us. You'll do great, trust me. If he noticed you for who you are, he'll like you just as you are. The quirky, bubbly, excited Christine." Wow, that was the nicest thing I ever said regarding Jake. "Besides, I already have plans today. Michael invited me over to play video games with him and Jeremy. You know, the boy from play rehearsal." She thought for a moment, but nodded. "That super shy boy, right?" I chuckled. "I guess his shyness depends on the person he's with. I bet you'd get along quite well, he seems adorable.“"

She frowned a bit. "I guess...he is a good listener...but I can't concentrate on two guys right now, you know? Anyways, have fun with them, I'll tell you how it went afterwards." She gave me another hug. "See ya Emmy."

Michael's POV:

"So...since when are we inviting girls to one of our playing sessions? Since when do we even know girls who would do this? Are you trying to get with her or something?", Jeremy asked as we sat in bean bags in my basement. I flushed. Oh no he didn't. "Well, we kinda knew her for a while from class...but I", I pointed at myself to emphasise that I alone deserved the credit for inviting her, "got to know her just now. You know how that happened...It was super awkward. But she doesn't seem to be put off by that. She seems really cool so far. And no, I don't want to get with her! And even if I wanted to, I would do a way better job than you with Christine." His face went completely blank. "Oh no you didn't", he said, staring in disbelief. "Yes I did. But hey it's getting better, you'll have your shot. Joining the play is a huge progress...and hanging out with her best friend could help", I said, laying a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. We both were anxious when it came to things like that, but Jeremy had always been way worse than me. I could at least talk to girls like Emily, who had similar interests. The problem was that those girls were rare, at least at our High School. Spending time with her doing dumb things wouldn't hurt, would it? 

Suddenly, it knocked on the door. "Yeah?", I half yelled, signaling to come in. The door opened slowly and one of my moms poked her head through the door. "Michael dear, there's a young lady who wants to see you", she said with the biggest grin. "That's Emily, let her in", I said, also smiling. Maybe a bit too much. There she was, slowly walking down the stairs, looking a bit..hesitant. "Hey guys", she said, waving a bit. "Hey Emily", Jeremy and I said in unison. I pointed at a spare bean bag next to mine. "Please sit down", I said and she did, still looking a bit uneasy. "Come on, we don't bite. I don't invite everyone over to play games, you know", I said with a chuckle and was relieved to see her smile as well. "So what are we playing?", she asked, taking the third controller. "Apocalypse of the Damned", I answered and started the console. The logo appeared on the screen in flashing colors. "Isn't that the really hard game with the Zombies? Like really really hard?" Jeremy and I both nodded grinning. "That's why it's fun. We both made it to level 9 and been on it for ike....2 weeks?", Jeremy said with a questioning look and I confirmed. "But we never tried to play it with three people, so...shall we?"

"We shall", she said, now smiling enthusiastically, which was way better (and...prettier? Could I say that? I guess I could) than her being uncomfortable and nervous. I didn't like seeing her like that, it reminded me way too much of me when I was around new people. Or any people, really. We started the game and it went really well. She definitely had some skills up her sleeves, which made her perfect to play with the two of us. After hours which went by just like that, we reached level seven in the three-player-mode, that was unfortunately where we had to stop. We layed down the controllers, leaning back in our bean bag. Jeremy took a look on his phone, cursing under his breath. "Shit, I have to go home. As I know my dad, he probably didn't leave the house all day, which means dinner is up to me. Again. Anyway, it was fun meeting and playing with you Emily", he said, offering her a smile, which she returned. "Same goes to you."

"Bye Bro", I said, frowning that he had to go already. Sadly that wasn't the first time he had to go because of his dad. Since he and his mother got divorced, he wasn't the same. He stayed at home all day, walking around the house only in a robe and underpants, drinking occasionally. That meant Jeremy had to do things like groceries, cooking dinner and cleaning. Hopefully his dad would get around....

"Bye", he said, hugging me before he grabbed his backpack and went upstairs. I turned to Emily, now also checking her phone. "Do you have to go too?", I asked, hoping she'd say no. Thankfully, she shook her head. "No, not yet. As long I tell my mom where I am and who I'm with, she's cool with it when I'm not too late. She's always worried when I'm out after school...", she explained, sighing heavily. I nodded, but frowned a bit at how annoyed she sounded. I decided to not ask what was behind that, I didn't want to pressure her. I would wait till we knew each other better. Hopefully it would come to that...


	3. A fellow geek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My two baby geeks are bonding
> 
> Also poor Michael struggling

Emily's POV:

It was typical of my mom to text or call me at least five times when I wasn't at home after school. She became really overprotective over the last year, and I still had to get used to it. I did text her right after school had ended where I'd be and who I would be with and who that was, so I could avoid that, but I hoped she would get over it. I understood the reason behind it fully, but still....

At least I could spend a litte bit more time with Michael, even though Jeremy already had to leave us. Playing video games with him and Jeremy had been so much fun it was unreal. Sure it was a bit awkward at first, since it was a new house, new people. But once we started the game, it all melted away. The two of them were extremely nice and welcoming, especially Michael. While we played, we talked and made jokes about pretty much everything. It was not like I never had interaction like that or friends, I had Christine, but the stuff we did was different. She wasn't interested into movies and games like me, but we had other stuff. Mainly theatre and musicals, and it was amazing to geek out with her about that, but it was really nice to have someone for the other interests too. I was surprised that I could actually be that social and talkative, but I guess with them it was just...easy. They didn't judge me because they knew what it was like. They knew what it was like being looked at – or mostly ignored for not being one of the popular teens. Who even had a say in who got to be popular? Anyway, wih guys like them, it was okay. 

I sighed, taking of my hooded jacket I was wearing above my shirt and leaned back in my bean bag. "Woah, cool tattoos", I heard Michael say and turned to him, his gaze was on my right arm. I couldn't help but smile and stretched it so he could see it better. I had the evenstar from Lord of the Rings on my upper arm and a game controller on my forearm. It couldn't get any geekier, I know. His brown eyes had widened and were shining brightly. "Damn that's rad. I only have one", he said and pulled up the sleeve of his hoodie. Okay, I was wrong. It could get any geekier. He had a freaking Pacman on his arm, with his typical open mouth, ready to eat three pills before him. It had to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. "Such a geek", I joked, nudging him playfully. He snorted, laughing while rubbing the place where I nudged him. "Guess that makes two of us." I nodded, also laughing. We continued like this for quite a while, till it was time for me to go too. 

"Well, see ya tomorrow", I said, standing up from the bean bag (which was difficult might I add) and taking my backpack. "See ya", he replied, also standing up. We stayed like this for a moment, standing in front of each other, looking at each other, silently. To avoid any more awkwardness, I decided to do the obvious and closed the distance to hug him. He seemed a bit startled, but returned the embrace, which felt...nice. Really nice to say the least. His body was warm, due to the hoodie. Eventually, we seperated and I went upstairs. Immediately after I left he house, I pulled out my phone to text him. 

Me: We have to repeat that. I seriously had so much fun!

It only took him a few moments to respond.

Michael: Hell yeah! A fellow geek is always welcome at my house. Have a nice evening :)  
Me: You too :3

The first half of the next day went by without anything special happening. Michael didn't bump into me for a change, an improvement. But also not because I didn't see him at all. Which made me...sad? Was that the right word? I don't know. I couldn't even think about it because as soon the bell rang and I went to my locker, I got attacked by a small human called Christine. "Heey", I chuckled as I hugged her. "You didn't text me how it went. Was it so bad?" She was still smiling, it couldn't be so bad. "No, it was really nice! Sorry I didn't text you, completely forgot...Anyway, it was way nicer than I would have expected a date with Jake to be. And...I kinda agreed to another date. Today, so yeah...I know you don't like him, but he's really changed, you know?" I gave her a kind smile. "Hey it's allright. If you say so, I believe you. But..if you could tell him to be a bit nicer to me? Not just him but all his friends?" She nodded, understanding. "Don't worry, I already said to him that I don't like his former behaviour, he said that he changed and is continuing to change. You'll see."

I could do nothing but agree to this, so I did. I believed her. Then my phone buzzed, it was a message from the one person I didn't see today. 

Michael: Hey didn't see you so far. Guess that kept me from hurting you ahaha

I smiled. Such a dork. 

Me: Well we didn't have our class yet, guess that's one of the reasons. So are you gonna change that ooooor...

Michael: Look behind you

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but I did and almost got a heart attack as I saw Michael standing right there, with the biggest grin on his face. I jumped, almost crashing against the locker. "God, Michael! You really know how to make an entrance", I said, clutching against my racing heart. He chuckled nervously. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." I shook my head. "It's all good.“ I realized that Christine was still there, standing there, looking at Michael and me. "Hey", she said, smiling slightly. "Aren't you friends with...Jeremy?", she asked, as if she wasn't sure about his name. He nodded. "How's the play going by the way? Heard all the popular kids joined as well." Now Christine nodded and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the mentioning of the popular students. "Well, it's going as great as a play about Shakespeare and Zombies could go", she simply replied and it wasn't even a lie. We both had a bit of trouble getting into the play, since we both loved original Shakespeare, but it would work out, I was sure of it. We always made the plays work, even if the script seemed like total shit. 

"Anyway, do you wanna hang out again? After School? Maybe at my place?", I then asked Michael and his eyes first lit up, but then he frowned. "Would love to, but I promised Jeremy to go with him to the Mall today. He wants to get something." I frowned a bit myself. "Okay...well, tell me when you're free, you can come by anytime", I told him, earning a smile from him. I really enjoyed seeing those. It was like his whole face, his whole body was shining. "Will do."

Michael's POV:

Even though I would have loved to hang out with Emily again, I already promised Jeremy to come with him to the mall. I had to. He wanted to do something dangerous. And dumb, mostly dumb. Rich, the guy who tormented us for forever, told him to buy a pill that made him cool just like him. But I didn't believe him. He bullied us, why would he tell him something like that? Plus, it was supposed to cost 600 dollars. He was totally scamming him, but I btter came with him, to see if it checked out. I hoped it didn't...I never got Jeremy's obsession with being popular anyway. Sure, it would be nice to not have someone writing stuff on your backpack or pushing you for just walking in the hallway or for just...existing. To be considered. But using a pill, a computer? That told you what to do? I don't know. I never heard of it, which was weird, because if what Rich said was true and it was from Japan, I would definitely know it. I knew everything from Japan.

But he was my best friend in the world, so I had to at least support him. Even if it meant I would lose him if it worked. God, I hoped it wouldn't...

Just as you would expect, the dude from the Payless was creepy as fuck. How else would you imagine a guy who sold japanese supercomputers in pill-form? He told Jeremy that he had to ingest it with Mountain Dew...Well okay. He did just as he said, but nothing happened. Like, nothing at all. Should I be...happy? I guess I could be. But I was mostly...relieved. That meant I could check out the Ecto Cooler the guy at Spencer's Gifts had for me.

And that was the last time I heard from Jeremy for days.

I didn't know why, but since that day, Jeremy didn't talk to me. He didn't text me, he didn't answer my calls. Sure, we weren't together or married or anything like that, but that just wasn't him. Maybe he was sad that it didn't work? Or...did it work? I really didn't know. I didn't even see him enough so I could talk to him. I couldn't do any more. And that made me feel...sad. Really sad. 

But before I lost my mind and drowned in sorrow, I decided to do something.

Me: Hey, would you like to hang out? At your place?

It took a few minutes for her to respond.

Emily: Hey, yeah of course! Just stop by after school okay?  
Emily: Are you all right? That seems so...sudden. You wanna talk about something?

I thought for a moment. I could either lie and shrug it off or be completely honest and talk to her about everything. Something I usually did with Jeremy, but since he was the source of the problem...

Me: I don't know. I just don't want to be alone right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeell hello
> 
> I know like only two people read this but thank you so much for reading this stupid little fic!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Stay tuned for the next one and don't be afraid to leave comments, I love reading them.
> 
> Byye! <3


	4. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Michael meet up to talk. And hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hi. 
> 
> Sorry that it took me a bit longer to write this but I didn't have that much time to write.
> 
> Well here it is, enjoy!

Emily's POV:

To say that I was concerned when Michael texted me something like that all of a sudden was an understatement. I was worried. Full-on worried. Given our conversation it wasn't strange that he wanted to meet up, but how he asked for it. It sounded like there was definitely something going on, something bigger than he lead on. And even though I didn't know him that long, I wanted to be there for him. And he had to know that. He had to know he was not alone. 

I texted him my address so he could come over after school. I felt myself growing more nervous as the time went by. As the last bell rang, I grabbed my things as quickly as I could and went straight home. I had to inform my mother that a friend was coming over, also I had to check if my room was...presentable. 

"Hey mom", I said as I walked through the door. "Hey sweetie." I followed her voice to find her in the kitchen, making herself some coffee. "Mom, is it okay if a friend comes over?", I asked, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket. She turned around, smiling her typical smile. "Of course! Is Christine coming over?" I shook my head. "No, a...new friend. Michael." She raised an eyebrow at the mentioning of his name. "A...new friend? As in your Boyfriend?" I rolled my eyes. It was such a mom-thing to do of her. "No, he is not my Boyfriend, he is really just a friend. We have some classes together and his best friend is also in the play. I've been at his place a couple days ago, remember? And we did nothing but playing video games and talking." She thought for a moment, but then nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Sorry for prying, but it's a mom-thing.“ I shrugged, taking a bite from my apple and going upstairs to my room. Well, it could be worse. Only a few clothes on the ground.

I had just put them away and finished my apple when I heard the doorbel downstairs. Before my mother could even call my name, I was downstairs at the door, opening it. There he was, smiling as always, but I could see something was bothering him. "Hey Michael, come in", I said and gestured him to come in. He did, looking around curiously. "Mom, we're upstairs." Of course she poked her head through the kitchen door, grinning at Michael. "Hey there, you must be Michael. Emily said you have classes together?“" Michael simply nodded. "Well I'm Helen. If you need anything, I'm here." 

"Okay mom, that's enough", I responded, resisting the urge to roll my eyes again. Without anything else, we went upstairs. „Welcome to my realm“, I made an exaggerating handmotion, turning myself around. "It's really nice", he said, still looking around, from the many posters from Lord of the Rings, Assassin's Creed and Doctor Who I had on my walls to the Harry Potter wands I had on display. "I know", I said with a grin. "Please sit, anywhere you want."

He carefully sat down at my bed. He somehow seemed a little bit more shy than before, maybe because he'd never been here before. I've been the same at his house. I sat down next to him and the next couple of moments, we were in complete silent. I didn't know if it was awkward or comfortable, it was sort of inbetween. "I'm sorry for my mom", I said eventually to break the silence. "She's always curious about who I'm with and all that. A bit...overprotective I guess.“ He chuckled slightly. "Ah, it's no big deal. She actually seems quite nice." He went silent again, as if he had to think about what he was going to say next. "I'm sorry, but are your parents divorced? Or seperated or anything?", he then asked and I froze. Well I didn't expect that question. Like at all. 

I never thought it would interest people. For me, it had become quite normal that it was just me and my mom. Hesitantly, I looked into his eyes. Even through his glasses I could see the warmth in his dark brown eyes. A genuine warmth that told me I could trust him. He came to me because he didn't want to be alone and he wanted to talk, so why shouldn't I do the same? 

I took a deep breath, adverting my gaze from his eyes. "My...my dad isn't around anymore. He died last year. He had a heart attack...Suddenly he was just...gone", I finally said, my voice shaking just a little. Even though it was already over a year, it was hard to talk about it. Mainly because I didn't have anyone to talk about it, except Christine. Well, until now. After a moment, I looked back into his eyes. They were still so warm, but now there was concern in the mix. And shock. In the next moment, he was hugging me. Oh man, I didn't know that I needed it until now, but I did. It was just as warm as his eyes were. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know", he mumbled into my shoulder.. I chuckled bitterly. "Hey, it's okay. How could you? I never told anyone but Christine." We seperated and he continued giving me this look. "Well I'm still sorry. But it explains your mom's behaviour. And hey. I'm here when you need to talk, okay? When you're feeling sad or don't know how to feel...I'm on my phone 24/7", he said and I giggled, nodding. "Okay. Thank you so much Michael. But the same goes to you. You said you didn't want to be alone right now. What is going on? What's bothering you?", I then asked, returning the look of comfort and concern. 

Michael's POV:

Okay, I didn't expect it to get that emotional when I was coming over. I had no idea...How could I? I didn't think anything by it when I asked about her parents, it would have been normal for them to be seperated or divorced, like Jeremy's. I was lucky to have two loving moms who loved each other. The story of her dad's death hit me like a truck. The only thing I could do was hugging her and telling her that she could talk to me anytime. I meant it. I wanted her to know that she could trust me with anything, just like I trusted her right now. 

Now it was my turn, she told me with a bit of concern in her big blue eyes. My hands were fidgeting, I didn't know how to phrase it. "Well...Jeremy is kinda ignoring me. For a bit now. It may sound stupid that I'm so affected by it but it really hurts. I don't know what to do..." I looked down at my fidgeting hands. Then I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. „Do you know why he might be doing that? Is he struggling or were you fighting?“, she asked softly, rubbing her thumb over my shoulder. I shook my head. How should I tell that my best friend of 12 years decided to buy a supercomputer that had to be activated with Mountain Dew just because a bully told him to? Because he was obsessed with being cool? Well, I guess the truth would do. 

So I told her. Everything. From Jeremy and Rich who told him about the pill to us going to the Payless, buying it and it not working. As I finished, I looked at her anxiously. She just sat there, her hand still on my shoulder. Silence followed. Of course, what were you supposed to say after someone dropped something like that?

It would be a miracle if she even believed me. I wouldn't believe it if someone would just tell me something like this. But then, she broke the silence with the words I didn't expect in a thousand years. "I believe you", she said, her voice steady. I blinked, confused. "You do?" She nodded slowly. "I think, yeah. Like, why would you make this up? This sounds like straight from a Sci-Fi novel, but still so...real. I totally get Jeremy's point, but...why is he so obsessed with becoming popular that he is willing to take...that?" I shrugged. "I don't know, he always was. And hey, I would love to be seen as more as I am, but I wouldn't give up who I am. I actually like it. Mostly. I mean, why shouldn't I? And I wish Jeremy would see himself like that too, but...", I stopped, the words stuck in my throat. "What should I do?"

Her hand moved from my shoulder and took one of my hands. I froze, first looking at our hands, then at her. She had a warm look on her face, radiating comfort. "I would say, you should wait and see. If he still ignores you, try talk to him. If that works out, great. If not, screw it. If he chooses popularity over his best friend, it's his fault. And...I know I'm not a worthy replacement, but you have me, anytime. Like I said, you can talk to me anytime, just like I can talk to you. I hope it works out between you two. But whatever happens, it's going to be okay."

I managed a smile and lightly squeezed her hand. "Yeah...I think it will."


	5. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Emily make some realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He(e)re it goes, another product of my tired mind

Emily's POV:

I don't know what lead me to believe that insane story about Jeremy and that pill, but I did. I guess it was the way Michael told it, the way he talked about it. It didn't seem like he made it up. Besides, who in his right mind would make something like this up? I didn't want to replace Jeremy or make Michael forget him by any means, I just...wanted to make him feel better. He deserved not to feel bad about something like this. About his best friend. He didn't deserve to feel bad at all. He was way too awesome. He was kind, funny, had the dopest interests, was a good listener....he was cute...did I just say cute? Yeah I think I did. Didn't know how to feel about this but I would know eventually.

"So, how'd it go with Jake?", I asked Christine as we sat in her room. We hadn't done this in a long while, so it was really nice to catch up this way and not rushed in the hallway. She shrugged, taking another bite of her slice of pizza. "It was good, I guess...but it got pretty weird after a while...." I raised an eyebrow. "How?" 

"We just hung out in the mall, he took me to Sbarro and it was nice and normal, but then Jeremy showed up. And not only that, but suddenly he started screaming and twitching and more screaming...it was absolutely horrifying. I don't know what was going on...but the next time I saw him he was completely normal." I almost choked on my pizza. "What? Really? Are you sure he didn't...take anything?" She shook her head. She didn't have to know I meant something entirely different than she thought, but it sounded like what I wanted to know. "No I don't think so, he doesn't seem like the dug taking guy...But then, yesterday, before play rehearsal, another weird thing happened." I looked straight at her, encouraging her to continue. I also saw that that 'thing' really bothered her. You could see i, her face was scrunched up and her hands were fumbling with the hem of her dress. 

"As I was waiting for you and Jake, Chloe and Brooke came along...Chloe said something about Jake, that he wasn't coming because of another extracurricular activity he was doing...and that he 'likes to try new things, but doesn't stick with them after he tries them'. I don't even know why she had to say that, I mean yeah they dated but we're not dating! We're just friends....Sure I like him, a little bit more than I should, but he didn't do anything...yet." I softly laid a hand on her arm to calm her down, she started to ramble again. "Hey hey hey. You know Chloe, she is possessive. Even though she and Jake aren't together anymore, she thinks she owns him and is jealous of you. I mean, who wouldn't be?" Thankfully, that brought a smile on her face. "I guess...I think I just have to watch it with him. And Jeremy...I could talk to him really well once he stopped the screaming and twitching, mostly he improved in the talking part. It's pretty nice..." now I smiled at her dreamy expression. I had no idea what was going on with Jeremy, but I bet him being better at talking to her had something to do with that japanese pill. Hopefully he would stop ignoring Michael, it broke my heart seeing him like this. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." 

"And what about you? I've seen you hang out with Jeremy's buddy...Michael? A lot", she then said and I felt my face grow hot. "If you are suggesting what I think you're suggesting...no. We share a lot of interests and can talk about anything and everything, but that's about it, like you and Jake, we've become really good friends", I said, then thought for a moment. Yeah, we were friends right? Just friends. Of course I liked him, but not that way. Sure, he was attractive in a nerdy way, which was the best and only way someone could be attractive for me. His smile could light up the darkest room, so could his brown eyes...his laugh was loud and light and cute and infectious as fuck. His hugs were warm and comforting. I could trust him. 

Well fuck I guess you could call that a crush.

Michael's POV:

It literally only took one more day for Jeremy to talk to me. It was at the end of the schoolday. Apparently the SQUIP worked after all...And even though I was afraid of exactly that, I couldn't help but be...happy for him. I could see that he was feeling a lot better than before he took the SQUIP. Well, he seemed better, but at the same time, he seemed...cold. Not like his old, awkward, friendly, caring self. Still, I was happy for him. I offered him to celebrate the success at my place, getting stoned in my basement as we often did. What can I say, I enjoyed completely letting go and relaxing that way. But then, the success of him noticing me and talking to me vanished as quickly as it came. He kind of zoned out, not saying anything. And then he just turned around and left, as if I wasn't there. 

...Was that it? He pretended to care just for one moment just to leave me again? I felt my heart sink into my feet. I couldn't believe it. Why would he change like that? I ran after him, I yelled his name, I shouted at him, I tapped him on the shoulder, but he just wouldn't notice me. As if this SQUIP would block his vision or hearing or something...I don't know, but what I did know was that it was weird and hurt like hell. Thankfully, I saw a certain head of red hair walk by, lifting my mood a bit. At least she saw me, giving me a smile. I liked her smile. It was bright and kind and in combination with her eyes...woah, what was I thinking here? How did I come from being depressed about Jeremy to obsessing over Emily's smile? That certainly wasn't the time to think how cute she was...cute? No I really had to focus. 

"Hey Michael", she said as she approached me. "Hey", I said, managing to smile a little bit. "Everything okay?", she asked, observing me. I sighed, shaking my head. "No...I don't know...Jeremy talked to me, but then he ditched me again, completely ignored me. I tried to talk to him, everything. It's as if I wasn't there for him." She laid a hand on my shoulder, stroking it gently. "Michael, I'm so sorry. Should I go talk to him?" I shook my head once again. "No, not yet...I just wanna get out of here." Her hand wandered from my shoulder to my hand. "I know just the place."


End file.
